Ex-Justice Sec: Fmr. Minister knew about drug dealer payoff

Former Minister of Security and Justice Ivo Opstelten was well aware that the deal made with drug dealer Cees Helman in 2001 involved 4.7 million guilders, Fred Teeven, the former State Secretary of Security and Justice, said in an interview with Het Parool on Tuesday.

Teeven told the newspaper that he reported the actual amount of the deal in a conversation with the ministry's Director General. "But Ivo deliberately chose not to use my reminder", Teeven said, calling it the "wrong choice".

The Tweede Kamer, led by the D66, CDA and ChristenUnie, now wants clarification from Prime Minister Mark Rutte on this matter. "We debated on this for eight hours and I would now like to know what the rest of the government knew about it. What did the Prime Minister know?" said Alexander Pechtold, D66 leader.

An independent commission will soon do an investigation into this deal.